TMDb for TV shows as well
TVDB does not allow extended versions of shows (even when their network considers them a different show). Because of this any such shows will have incorrect statistics. TMDb (which is already used to source the movie info) now also supports TV shows, and is much easier to contribute to if corrections are needed. This would also reduce the overhead for Simkl (one less API to worry about breaking).
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Mario Van Hecke commented
So TVDB is still on the fence about Doctor Who (2023-). As I mentioned, the same goes for IMDb. By implementing the reboot early, TMDB is saving itself the aggro of having to split a show into 2, an intricate task which TVDB & IMDb will be condemned to undertake when the next season airs. For those of you who think the reboot makes no sense, think of it this way: Doctor Who (2005-2022) is the BBC era, while Doctor Who (2023-) is the BBC-Disney era.
You say TVDB is more reliable than TMDB. For me, it’s all about how their data affects my Simkl experience. By far the most important information is a show’s status (Continuing or Ended), which decides whether a show is in Watching or Completed on Simkl. As I said, Russian Doll has been changing sides with alarming regularity for months, which is highly annoying. Furthermore, TVDB claims the following shows have ended, when there is no evidence to support that:
- Domina
- Jury Duty
- Minx
- The WindsorsIMDb, TMDB & TV Maze all disagree. 4 mistakes out of 70 shows I’m watching is an unacceptably high error rate. I don’t care about other data, but the show’s status should NOT be extracted from TVDB.
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AdminAndrew Masyk (Founder, Simkl) commented
Doctor Who has not yet been officially renamed to 2024. See https://www.reddit.com/r/TheTVDB/comments/18r9d16/comment/kf2uuk0/
TMDB data about TV Shows has been less reliable in the past 12 months than TVDB.
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Mario Van Hecke commented
TVDB hasn't recognized the recent Doctor Who reboot. IMDb is still on the fence. Only TMDB has acknowledged the BBC guideline that the Doctor Who (2005-2022) era has ended, and a new Doctor Who (2023-) era has started.
Also, TVDB contributors are often very quick to consider shows have ended, when there is absolutely no news to support this. Recent examples are Domina & Minx. The status of Russian Doll continually oscillates between Continuing and Ended. TMDB is both more stable & more trustworthy.